The importance of Black commentary in mainstream media

Black commentary in the mainstream media ensures that the narrative being communicated is balanced and representative of its audience. Even more so when discussing issues around the Black experience.  But we have become all too accustomed to the bias and negative representation of  Black culture and the Black community in the media. And the power of it is such that people build perceptions of ethnic groups and communities on the skewed messaging delivered by the media; which feeds into society that enables micro-aggressions and institutional racism (no matter what a report will try to tell you). Black people are impacted by media biases in everyday life, this is why it is vital that we lead the narrative from concept to delivery.  

HUFFPOST UK

Yinka Bokinni, host of #BlackVoicesHPUK

“ On Black Voices we are not going to be talked about or tokenised – we are going to be leading the conversation, on our terms.” Radio and TV presenter Yinka Bokinni on the launch of Huffington Post’s video series Black Voices UK in 2020.

Media organisations such as the BBC, Huffington Post and Channel 4 have committed to the commissioning of programmes around the Black experience along with launching initiatives to help drive increased representation on and off screen. However, these initiatives are frequently overshadowed by the backwards steps that occur almost simultaneously. Recently we have observed the recurring notion of gaslighting accomplished Black guests on various news programs when discussing Meghan Markle and the issue of racism in the UK. From Dr Shola Mos Shogbamimu to Afua Hishm this has become the common visual we see when discussing race in the mainstream media, which further distorts the narrative around race, racism and the Black experience.

And speaking of the Black experience, Black content around such themes are proving to be a big success. Producing Black content by Black creatives is not a shot in the dark as the industry seems to believe or would even like us to believe. It is capturing mainstream audiences and gets the kind of advertising money can’t buy with Black Twitter to hype it up (if needs be).  In 2020, the BBC commissioned I May Destroy You which featured a predominantly Black cast, created, written, co-directed, and executive produced by Michela Cole. The critics raved about the series and social media went into a frenzy about the courageous approach Cole addressed issues such as race, sexual abuse and consent. This was shortly followed by the premiere of Small Axe, an anthropology centred around the British Caribbean community in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s created and directed by Academy Award nominee Steve McQueen. McQueen’s authentic recreations of the Black British Caribbean experience took many of our parents down memory lane with Lovers Rock and showed us how little things have changed with Mangrove and Red, White and Blue.

Now we take quite a leap forward, albeit for just 24 hours; as Channel 4 is set to launch their 24-hour Black to Front initiative in September 2021. Black to Front will see Mo Gilligan front a one-off special of The Big Breakfast along with the arrival of a new reality series called Highlife which will showcase the lives of affluent young Black Britons. All this will be supported by Black talent across several off-screen roles such as executive producers, series producers, studio directors and deputy editors to name but a few - for 24 hours. 

Mo Gilligan will front a one-off special of The Big Breakfast

Although despite the progression within some networks around Black representation some are still clearly at the very beginning of the journey. In 2019 The Baileys became the first Black family to join Coronation Street all together in its 59-year history. Charlene White, Kéllé Bryan, Brenda Edwards, and Judi Jones were part of Loose Women’s historical all Black panel, the first time in their 21-year history in 2020. While these milestones were widely celebrated, it is shocking we are still witnessing these ‘firsts’ in the 21st century. However, the statistics published in industry reports on Black representation in mainstream media suggest, it really is not surprising at all.  

The Creative Diversity Networks Annual Diamond report stated that in 2018/2019 Black people represented 9.8% of the on and off-screen contributions which was down by 0.4% year on year. Furthermore, according to the Reuters Institute report on Journalists in the UK (2015), the most under-represented group are Black Britons who made up 0.2% of journalists in contrast to 94% of whom were white.  

Evidently the lack of representation of Black talent on and off screen across the media industry continues to be a problem. While it is encouraging to see significant positive strides within specific media outlets such as the BBC, Huffington Post and Channel 4, we need them to do more and others to follow suit. If we wish to see these initiatives and cultural moments have a longstanding impact that will eventually change the way Black people are treated in society, then we are going to need a collective pledge made by all media organisations. Black social and cultural commentary has to be led by Black voices and should not be a token gesture by a select few or for a mere 24 hours.